2007/2008 Hockey Thread

[Plubby]

Wow, Toe! You look really smart when you take my post (referring to the time of scoring the third goal, ~11 minutes into the second period) and apply your timestamp to it! I wish I was as clever as you!

[Gabriel]

Well... I went 3 for 4 on my picks for tonight's games. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. The only one I got wrong was Toronto/Ottawa... but it was a hell of a game to watch, so I'm not too miffed about it.

I'll probably get my picks up for tomorrow's games before I head to bed tonight. I'm hoping that I continue to do well over the course of the season.

[Guest Grapehead]

EAST

1 - Ottawa - This is basically the same team that ran through the Eastern conference during the playoffs, with some minor losses and minor additions, and a heavy summer workout, they won't feel any hangover

2 - Pittsburgh - They just look bigger and badder than ever this season, their division will come down to them and the Rangers and they just have what it takes

3 - Carolina - Weak division, and honestly you could pick any of the 5 teams and it wouldn't be a terrible prediction, but Carolina has a little more to prove

4 - Rangers - Adding Drury and Gomez isn't anything to scoff at, but if they don't click and fit in immediately, the Rangers might have to make up ground AFTER they find their place on the Rangers lineup, leaving them in fourth

5 - Buffalo - No doubt they are going to have an off year from last season, but after this coming season they'll bounce back to former glory, this will just be a short stay in mediocrity

6 - Toronto - They JUST missed the playoffs last season, and with the experience of getting themselves into those close point races, they will be looking to put room between themselves and 9th place as quickly as possible this season

7 - Philly - They made the necessary overhaul, adding three former captains also won't hurt their locker room vibe. This team just looks new, and with a new team anything can happen. They don't want to finish any higher than 7th, lest Holmgren thinks the rebuilding process is done

8 - Devils - They look sickly this year, but with Brodeur in nets you are guaranteed to make the playoffs

WEST

1 - Detroit - Easy division, like Carolina, except that this will only propel them even HIGHER up the standings as usual. It's Detroit though, nuff said

2 - Vancouver - I'd say it's now or never for the Canucks, they don't have a TON of prospects coming up. They need THESE players to win NOW, and I know they will

3 - San Jose - Still a threat, with great young talent like Michalek, Bernier, Carle, and Vlasic, on top of Thornton and Cheechoo, plus Roenik looking good, they will run their division

4 - Colorado - Good offseason additions, good veteran presence, youth that contributes, it's a winning formula and Colorado should return to their former glory this season

5 - Anaheim - Without Selanne and Niedermayer, forget it, they will fall down the standings, but should even one of those two end up playing this season, they will take that 4th spot from Colorado

6 - Chicago - Time to reap the benefits of sucking so hard for so long. They still may not look great defensively, but they will run up the score on many nights and will easily make the playoffs. I would put them in 8th, but between them and Detroit they will rape their division and almost split the points 50/50

7 - Calgary - They WILL win more games on the road this season, but also lose more at home, they won't be much different than last season

8 - Dallas - It would be hard to say Dallas will miss the playoffs, but I really am not sure of what they've been doing lately, this spot could easily be filled by LA or Minnesota

PLAYOFFS

Ottawa - Devils

Pittsburgh - Philly

Carolina - Toronto

Rangers - Buffalo

Detroit - Dallas

Vancouver - Calgary

San Jose - Chicago

Colorado - Anaheim

Ottawa - Toronto

Pittsburgh - Rangers

Detroit - Anaheim

Vancouver - San Jose

Ottawa - Pittsburgh

Vancouver - Anaheim

Ottawa - Anaheim -- That's right, a Stanley Cup finals REMATCH. I honestly didn't plan that, I just ran through my playoff brackets and ended up with this. If it did come down to Anaheim/Ottawa again, Ottawa would have to take it.

[Plubby]

Is Selanne definately retired - or still unofficially retired, where his official status is "deciding"

[Cactus Drags]

I was watching the London game on Saturday and the commentators mentioned that the Ducks didn't know when or if they'd be with Niedermayer and Selanne this season, so I guess he's still "deciding".

[gunnar hendershow]

Antropov waits 8 seconds into the season to hook a Senator and take a seat in the penalty box. Class.

What else did you expect from a Kazakh?

[Gabriel]

Antropov waits 8 seconds into the season to hook a Senator and take a seat in the penalty box. Class.

What else did you expect from a Kazakh?

[Guest Grapehead]

How did the guy on CBC think Blake's running the goalie was a good hockey play? Seriously, Blake should've got a penalty for that, he clearly just ran right over Gerber.

[SeanDMan]

I think you're wrong, Grapehead. This year at training camp the Canucks got very good performances from Cory Schneider in goal, Daniel Rahimi, Luc Bourdon, Alex Edler, Nathan McIver, and Zack Fitzgerald on defense, and Jason Jaffray, Jannik Hansen, Juraj Simek, Michael Grabner (kind of) on offense, as well as Mayson Raymond and Alexandre Burrows, who are young and on the team, plus Ryan Shannon is still young, Ryan Kesler is not that old... I mean, there are two camps of thought. One is that Naslund, Morrison, and Ohlund are not getting any younger, and that the team needs to make something happen now. This year, or never. The other thought is that next year, the Canucks are free of the contracts of Naslund, Morrison, and Ohlund, and can add the pieces that Luongo and the Sedins need to win a cup. I like our team this year, I think we're better then last year. I think the additions of Shannon and Miller, even though they are depth players right now, are important, because the Canucks ALWAYS get fucked by injuries. We are, basically, Hollywood North afterall... so having depth with speed, which Shannon is, and depth with leadership and meanness, which Miller has in spades, is very important. Overall, I like the way the Canucks look. If they make big changes, bring in some big free agents, or whatever next year, I think I'll like them too. But there's no sense of panic in Vancouver... a lot of people are getting ready for a ho hum season, given our being handcuffed to big contracts to aging veterans, they feel next year is our year... but I am optomistic beyond that.

[Plubby]

Help me Obi-Wan Stastny...you're our only hope

[Clawson]

How did the guy on CBC think Blake's running the goalie was a good hockey play? Seriously, Blake should've got a penalty for that, he clearly just ran right over Gerber.

[Guest Grapehead]

How did the guy on CBC think Blake's running the goalie was a good hockey play? Seriously, Blake should've got a penalty for that, he clearly just ran right over Gerber.

He was driving to the net. I'd say it's fair but my beef is how Heatley's goal counted in the regular season when one Mats scored in the preseason like that didn't. We should have won that one that's for sure, we were all over you.

[Clawson]

It was hardly a running into, Blake was driving to the net and he was pinched in between two Sens. If you're in that situation you're not going to stop you're going to keep going where you were going. It was the right move by him in that situation and if Greg Millen, a former goalie who is often behind goalie rights and is also against the player in that situation, says it was a good move then you have to rethink it.

As for the Heatley goal, I'd like some clarification on the foot rule. I've seen plenty of times where that isn't a goal and plenty of times where it is. I'm not saying it should or shouldn't have counted but the rule...it's enough to do a man's head in.

[Guest Grapehead]

You CAN move your foot to angle the puck in, so you can turn your skate so that the puck will bounce off on it's own, you can just change the angle or direction of the puck. You CAN'T propel the puck towards the net with your foot, you cannot add to the pucks momentum essentially.

[Clawson]

Bah, if you can do that then why can't you just kick it in. What about a stopping motion that propels the puck in? What do they call that?

[Guest Grapehead]

I don't know, I don't think a player has ever tried to stomp the puck in. The difference between angling your skate and kicking it in, it's harder to prove that a guy turned his skate on purpose, than it is to prove he kicked at the puck on purpose. It is an iffy rule, but they do call it pretty straight as far as I've seen.

[SeanDMan]

The rule is, simply, that if it's a direct kicking motion, it's dissallowed, otherwise it counts. That means that sliding into a puck sideways while stopping and using that momentum to slide the puck in counts. It must be a direct soccer style kick, any sliding that is caused by a normal stopping or skating motion is described as a redirection and not a kick. That's the letter of the law, but the problem is that it's a judgement call, and a lot of times the NHL's judgement in all things is questionable at best. From what I saw, by the letter of the law, that was for sure a goal. It didn't look like he made any motion on the puck after his stride towards the net, and it was coincidence and timing that led to the goal. But Heatley is sly, and you can make a little, subtle kick that can't always be spotted, but I didn't see one.

[lari]

I have a man-crush on David Koci. I think he got the better of Boogaard this time. They have a good rivalry going, seeing how they already had a beauty of a scrap in the preseason.

I don't even mind the 0-1 loss that much. But I'm getting very annoyed by the fact Havlat can't stay healthy. He might be the best player in the league, but what good is he if he can't finish the first game of the season without getting hurt...

[Toe]

Well, despite the two loses, Toronto can take a lot away from the games.

Vesa Toskala looked really good in goal, and I think showed that the preseason was just an abiration for him. Also, Toronto's top line has looked good. The powerplay was awful, and if that can be turned around, then Toronto should be able to win a lot of hockey games. I don't like saying this, but Ottawa is one of the best teams in the NHL right now, so losing a game to them is not a sign of a team being awful.

[Plubby]

Well, despite the two loses, Toronto can take a lot away from the games.

A lot of NO POINTS??!?!?